System Architecture: The Silver Bullet?

abstract Many people jump onto systems architecting methods with the false expectation that these methods will solve most of their problems. A major reason to do this is uncertainty. The real world, unfortunately, is full of uncertainties, and systems architecting can help in dealing with these many uncertainties. However, systems architecting will not make uncertainties disappear, neither will it prevent effort to be spend on unexpected issues.

Silver Bullets do not exist.

The critical success factors for applying system architecture methods are described.

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History

1.8 May 23, 2006 Gerrit Muller

added a few more "nasty surprises".
added social skills to critical success factors

1.7 April 21, 2006 Gerrit Muller

added a question to "Critical Attitude".

1.6 April 19, 2006 Gerrit Muller

reworded the abstract
added a paragraph and a reference to "Quest for Certainty"

1.5 February 19, 2003 Gerrit Muller

changed forgotten "golden" in "silver"

1.4 August 5, 2002 Gerrit Muller

small updates

1.2 June 20, 2001 Gerrit Muller

Added abstract
Added "vision" as critical success factor

1.1 March 15, 2001 Gerrit Muller

Renamed and propagated new layout

1.0 April 7, 2000 Gerrit Muller

Created, no changelog yet

0 March 24, 2000 Gerrit Muller

Created, no changelog yet

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